Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is the most questionable
place ever included in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World list. Its existence has been questioned by many
modern day archaeologists. It was said
that it was built under the order of Nebuchadnezzar II to please his wife who
came from Medea.

Babylon is an ancient city that can now be seen in south of
Baghdad, Iraq. Nebuchadnezzar II’s wife,
Amytis came from Medea in ancient Persia (modern day Iran).

One reason why it is not believed is because, since the city
of Babylon is a desert, it is almost impossible to place gardens, trees, and
running water in this location. How can
a garden be placed in the middle of a desert?
What kind of irrigation system did it have? However, this mysterious garden was described
by Greek historians such as Strabo and Diodorus Siculus. They each gave detailed description of the
garden. There were trees and plants of
every kind. There were also ponds and
waterfalls. The irrigation system was
described as well. But they weren’t
eyewitness accounts. The army of
Alexander the Great claimed to have set foot on this mysterious garden which
led to the credibility of its existence.

The second reason to believe why it’s not real is that stone
tablets from Nebuchadnezzar’s reign gave detailed descriptions of the city of
Babylonia but no mention of the Hanging Gardens.

Third reason to say its unbelievable is because it was said
to have hung off the ground. The highest
part of the garden was about 75 feet in height.
But archeologists say that it was actually built on top of terraces or
flat rooftops.

However, proofs of its existence were found in Babylon,
thanks to Robert Koldeway, a German archaeologist. They have unearthed a vaulted palace with
thick walls and irrigation well in proximity to the palace and a thick wall
that could form terraces and balcony.

Even with Robert Koldeway’s findings, many
archaeologists are still not convinced of its existence. Many of them believe that the hanging garden actually
existed in another city. In Nineveh, a
nearby ancient Assyrian city, that is also located in modern day Iraq. Tablets found from this place show gardens with
the same description.

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An artist's illustration

An artist's illustration

An artist's illustration

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Was The Ishtar Gate the entrance to The Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

The Ishtar Gate was the main entrance to the city of Babylon

A part of The Ishtar Gate was reconstructed and can now be seen in Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany

The Ishtar Gate was once one of the seven wonders of the ancient world until it was replaced by The Pharos of Alexandria or simply known as The Lighthouse of Alexandria

Many archaeologists believed that The Ishtar Gate was mentioned in The Bible; in The Book of Bel (Apocrypha). This part was eliminated in the modern version of The Bible.